HISTORY OF ST. LANDRY LUMBER

St. Landry Lumber Company has been in existence for as long as most people can remember. The company dates back as far as 1890, this date is the last legible date found by the owners. The first owner of St. Landry Lumber was Alonzo C. Skiles. The exact dates in which Skiles was operating the company is still unknown to us at this time. What is known though is that in 1900 Mr. Skiles sold the company to Mr. B.F. Tucker and O.L. Gregory.

Tucker and Gregory were the sole owners up until 1916 when they began to solicit local investors. Many investors decided to participate in this grand opportunity but the one name that jumps out is J.A. Perkins, Sr. who took great pride in his investments. In 1925 Mr. Perkins, Sr. offered his associate investors a deal they could not refuse and at that point he became the sole owner of St. Landry Lumber Company. Mr. Perkins, Sr. operated and owned the business located at 207 North Railroad St. until his death in 1942. Upon his death Eva Perkins, his wife, became the administrator of his estate.

In 1944 Mrs. Eva hired Victor Barousse, Sr., her son-in-law, to manage the company. Once completing his schooling at L.S.U. in 1949, Ray Perkins, one of Eva's sons, became the assistant manager. The company was not handed over to Mr. Ray as most would have assumed. He worked under Barousse until he retired in 1974. Once Barousse retired Ray relinquished his title as assistant manager and became the manger of St. Landry Lumber Company. A tough decision would have to be made in 1987 after the death of Eva Perkins.

Eva Perkins' four sons and two daughters would have to decide at this time what would become the company their father had acquired so many years ago. At this time Mr. Ray Perkins decided to purchase the shares that his siblings had obtained so he could then be the sole owner of St. Landry Lumber Company.

Ray's children soon proved to share in their father's interest. Austin Perkins also completed his schooling at L.S.U. in 1982 and decided to join his father in the family business. This proved to be a significant start for Austin who later became the C.E.O. of St. Landry Lumber in 1990. Austin would not be the only child to join their father. In 1992 Chris and Lorraine Perkins also decided to be a part of their father's business.

Every aspect of St. Landry Lumber Company was growing, therefore the company needed to expand. In 2001 they purchased the right-of-way located to the west of the property from Acadiana Railway, and then in 2003 they bought the adjacent land from Union Pacific Railway. St. Landry Lumber began to take over an entire city block which consists of six covered lumber areas, millwork warehouse, and a state of the art retail outlet. This location serves not only Opelousas and the surrounding areas, but also all of Louisiana.